unionsNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94unionsTue, 25 Oct 2016 06:28:34 +0000unionshttp://wesa.fm
Associated Press Classes have resumed for more than 100,000 students who attend Pennsylvania's 14 state-owned universities. Following Strike, Classes Resume At 14 Pennsylvania-Owned Universitieshttp://wesa.fm/post/following-strike-classes-resume-14-pennsylvania-owned-universities
72706 as http://wesa.fmMon, 24 Oct 2016 15:05:47 +0000Following Strike, Classes Resume At 14 Pennsylvania-Owned UniversitiesAssociated Press The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's management and musicians union have agreed to let an independent expert assess the organization's finances in hopes of ending a musician's strike that began Sept. 30. Management is seeking a 15-percent wage cut, plus pension concessions saying that's necessary to keep the symphony solvent in the face of more than $20 million in debt over the next five years. The musicians' union says management is overstating the orchestra's financial problems. Both sides have agreed to resume bargaining this week and have a neutral financial expert review the orchestra's income and expenses. The orchestra has canceled all performances through Nov. 18 because of the strike. The 15-percent pay cut would drop the musicians' base salary from more than $107,000 to just over $91,000 annually. Pittsburgh Symphony Management, Union Agree To Seek Financial Advicehttp://wesa.fm/post/pittsburgh-symphony-management-union-agree-seek-financial-advice
72707 as http://wesa.fmMon, 24 Oct 2016 14:58:35 +0000Pittsburgh Symphony Management, Union Agree To Seek Financial AdviceSarah Kovash At a press conference on Monday, Mayor Bill Peduto acknowledged efforts by Pittsburgh Police Chief Cameron McLay to restore relationships between officers and the communities they serve since his hiring in in 2014, but said police need to work a lot harder to achieve the same stasis within their own bureau. Peduto called a recent meeting with Fraternal Order of Police leaders “very positive” and said it resulted in short- and long-term solutions to restore a sense of unity in the department. The police union criticized McLay last month for appearing in uniform at the Democratic National Convention. McLay said his appearance did not violate municipal code preventing officers from campaigning, but Union President Robert Swartzwelder called the chief's appearance "improper" and called for his dismissal. Earlier this month, McLay called for an investigation by the Citizen Police Review Board into his actions. The police union is also conducting a confidence survey, threatening a “noPeduto Says Police Department Needs Boost In Moralehttp://wesa.fm/post/peduto-says-police-department-needs-boost-morale
70338 as http://wesa.fmMon, 29 Aug 2016 19:17:54 +0000Peduto Says Police Department Needs Boost In MoraleSarah Schneider Pennsylvania unions bucked a national trend of stagnant growth this year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Census Bureau Report Shows PA Union Membership Uphttp://wesa.fm/post/census-bureau-report-shows-pa-union-membership
60868 as http://wesa.fmTue, 09 Feb 2016 09:34:00 +0000Census Bureau Report Shows PA Union Membership UpCasey Chafin Vice President Joe Biden spoke to a group of union workers before the Labor Day Parade in downtown Pittsburgh Monday morning. His speech was focused on the importance of organized labor to the health of the national economy and quality of life. “Without the ability to sit down with the most powerful entities in the world, without that ability to negotiate, without that ability to throw up power, there is no shot,” Biden said. “No shot for any American worker.” He said organizing is essential to making sure everyone can feel secure in their work and domestic life. “Our job is one thing, all of you, to make sure every parent can look their kid in the eye knowing they put in a full day’s work and say, ‘Honey, it’s going to be okay,’” he said. “That’s what labor is about, that’s what unions are about.” Biden said the economy has changed; Workers no longer benefit as much from increases in their productivity as they used to. “The people who caused the productivity increase, they got aVice President Biden Speaks at Pittsburgh's Labor Day Paradehttp://wesa.fm/post/vice-president-biden-speaks-pittsburghs-labor-day-parade
53587 as http://wesa.fmMon, 07 Sep 2015 18:45:15 +0000Vice President Biden Speaks at Pittsburgh's Labor Day ParadeErika Beras An estimated 1,500 people marched through the streets of Downtown Pittsburgh on Tuesday from United Steelworkers headquarters to the offices of Allegheny Technology and U.S. Steel headquarters. Union workers are demanding contract settlements with U.S. Steel, Allegheny Technologies and ArcelorMittal. Negotiations started in June. United Steelworkers March Through Downtownhttp://wesa.fm/post/united-steelworkers-march-through-downtown
53325 as http://wesa.fmTue, 01 Sep 2015 20:59:06 +0000United Steelworkers March Through DowntownLiz Reid“Stand up, get down, Pittsburgh is a union town!” That was one of the chants shouted by protesters who circled the Allegheny County Courthouse Tuesday ahead of a Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board hearing for the Rivers Casino, which is operated by Rush Street Gaming, LLC. The board is considering whether to renew the North Shore casino’s license, a process undertaken every three years. Pittsburgh City Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak stopped by the rally to offer support for the ongoing unionization effort. She said city leaders welcomed the casino into the community amid the promise of good jobs. “So our communities are stronger, so our neighborhoods are better, because you know what? When we all do better, we all do better,” Rudiak said to cheers and applause. Rudiak said just hours earlier, Council had passed a resolution officially supporting the workers’ right to unionize. Inside the hearing, the majority of seats were taken up by people wearing neon green t-shirts emblazoned with theUnion Supporters Rally Outside Rivers Casino License Renewal Hearinghttp://wesa.fm/post/union-supporters-rally-outside-rivers-casino-license-renewal-hearing
48857 as http://wesa.fmTue, 02 Jun 2015 20:54:32 +0000Union Supporters Rally Outside Rivers Casino License Renewal HearingMichael LynchWorkers’ rights activists and former UPMC employees joined city and state officials in Downtown Pittsburgh Monday to celebrate a ruling that found UPMC violated the National Labor Relations Act. In a 123-page decision issued Friday, National Labor Relations Administrative Law Judge Mark Carissimi ruled in favor of the Service Employees International Union on 21 issues, including the reinstatement of Ron Oakes, Finley Littlejohn, Jim Staus and Al Turner, who were terminated after engaging in union organizing activities. “We’ve done nothing wrong,” Ron Oakes said. “[UPMC] fired us illegally.” UPMC has 14 days to reinstate the workers, as well as pay their lost wages with interest; remove any unlawful disciplinary action from their employee records; and announce the violations to all hospital service workers. Last week, the four former employees rejected a UPMC settlement offer, saying they wanted to clear their good names. “If we would have taken UPMC’s offer,” Oakes said, “that wouldJudge Orders Former UPMC Employees Be Reinstatedhttp://wesa.fm/post/judge-orders-former-upmc-employees-be-reinstated
38967 as http://wesa.fmMon, 17 Nov 2014 20:22:40 +0000Judge Orders Former UPMC Employees Be ReinstatedJess LaskyWhen an emergency strikes a skyscraper the pressure is on for the in-house safety workers to act quickly, but if the building’s security officers don’t even know where the elevator keys are, first responders could remain stuck on the first floor looking for keys. On Wednesday, security officers from several downtown Pittsburgh buildings rallied outside of the PPG building with paramedics, elected officials, clergy, and firefighters to encourage unionization. “[There are] hundreds of buildings in the city of Pittsburgh and we try our hardest to learn about them, but someone who knows their building, just like you would know your own home, it helps us handle the situation,” said Pittsburgh Firefighters Union board member Darrin Kelley. Kelley has been working as a firefighter in downtown Pittsburgh for 11 years and he says he has been in almost every building twice, and it makes a big difference if the security officer on duty is well trained. Supporters of the security officersSecurity Officers Seek Unionizationhttp://wesa.fm/post/security-officers-seek-unionization
36964 as http://wesa.fmWed, 08 Oct 2014 18:25:09 +0000Security Officers Seek UnionizationLiz ReidLittle more than a week after Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett was uninvited from this year’s Labor Day parade in Pittsburgh, the Allegheny County Labor Council has announced that his opponent Tom Wolf will lead the parade. The council said Saturday that Democratic gubernatorial nominee Tom Wolf’s Jeep, which has been featured in TV ads from both Wolf and Corbett, will also be included in the event. "Tom Wolf brings a new attitude toward workers and workers' rights. He wants all Pennsylvania workers to have a shot at a better life just like the UAW workers who built his Jeep and benefited from collective bargaining helping them to earn family sustaining wages and benefits, the kind of living wages all workers deserve," said Jack Shea, President of the Allegheny County Labor Council. Also marching on Monday will be AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and workers representing industries as diverse as fast food, healthcare, and higher education. According to a news release, Wolf, Trumka,Wolf to Lead Pittsburgh Labor Day Parade, Dems Call for Minimum Wage Increasehttp://wesa.fm/post/wolf-lead-pittsburgh-labor-day-parade-dems-call-minimum-wage-increase
35104 as http://wesa.fmSat, 30 Aug 2014 22:37:47 +0000Wolf to Lead Pittsburgh Labor Day Parade, Dems Call for Minimum Wage IncreaseJosh Raulerson Like any English professor, Clint Benjamin spends a lot of his time grading papers. “There’s a mountain – a teetering Matterhorn of papers at the end of the weekend, or during the week,” Benjamin said. “You’ve just gotta get through them.” By his own estimate, Benjamin spends 30 to 40 hours a week on grading alone. He also has to attend meetings, answer emails, keep office hours, and commute between the Community College of Allegheny County and Duquesne University campuses, where in a typical week he prepares and teaches five sections’ of English and writing classes. For his troubles, Benjamin earns between $25,000 and $30,000 a year and no benefits – if he’s lucky enough to get the maximum number of appointments each institution offers. As a contingent employee, Benjamin is compensated at a fraction of what his similarly credentialed tenured and tenure-track colleagues earn. (Adjunct faculty normally hold a terminal degree in their field: typically a PhD or, in Benjamin’s case, anIn Pittsburgh's New Economy, Organized Labor Reorganizeshttp://wesa.fm/post/pittsburghs-new-economy-organized-labor-reorganizes
30504 as http://wesa.fmTue, 10 Jun 2014 07:30:00 +0000In Pittsburgh's New Economy, Organized Labor ReorganizesMary WilsonA state proposal to change rules for unions involved in a labor dispute is on the fast track to becoming law.Under state law, unions in Pennsylvania are allowed to harass, stalk, and threaten to use weapons of mass destruction if they’re involved in a labor dispute.Legislation that started as an effort to end that exemption now just kind of massages it.A Senate committee on Tuesday approved changes to allow stalking and harassment if it is used in the pursuit of constitutionally-protected or legally-protected activity.“This bill stops inappropriate conduct on both the part of unions and management,” said Sen. Daylin Leach (R-Montgomery). “This isn’t an attempt to stop working people from expressing their constitutionally protected rights.”Leo Knepper, director of the Citizens Alliance of Pennsylvania, which has pushed to end the exemption, said his only concern would be that federally protected behavior for unions is a somewhat broad category.“I guess I’ll have to see,” Knepper saidSoftened Changes For Union Exemption On 'Fast Track'http://wesa.fm/post/softened-changes-union-exemption-fast-track
26884 as http://wesa.fmWed, 02 Apr 2014 11:41:44 +0000Softened Changes For Union Exemption On 'Fast Track'Mary WilsonA rhetorical battle is brewing over a proposal to end the automatic deduction of union dues and voluntary political contributions from the pay of public employees in Pennsylvania.Unions representing public workers say it’s an attempt to kill organized labor and shrink their political spending.The bill’s sponsor, Republican Rep. Bryan Cutler of Lancaster County, says he’s not refuting the rights of public employee unions to make contributions to political campaigns and political action committees."What I am questioning is, however, the appropriateness of government collecting political money," he said. "Should the government collect political money?"Cutler adds the practice looks unseemly, even if it doesn’t represent a large cost to state and local government.Unions representing police and firefighters are exempt in the measure.No votes have been scheduled on the proposal, but Gov. Tom Corbett says he supports it. Rhetorical Fight Brewing Over Union Deductions Proposalhttp://wesa.fm/post/rhetorical-fight-brewing-over-union-deductions-proposal
23476 as http://wesa.fmTue, 28 Jan 2014 15:33:23 +0000Rhetorical Fight Brewing Over Union Deductions ProposalHeather McClainLooking at Americas economy today, Former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich has pointed to the decline of unions as a contributor to the stagnation of American wages. When unions are strong, is the economy strong? Stephen Herzenberg, Executive Director of the Keystone Research Center says job growth and Americas recovery from the great recession have been too slow. With the decline in unions over the past few decades, he says wages have been flattened and even declined since the recovery began. American Economic Growth and Unionshttp://wesa.fm/post/american-economic-growth-and-unions
18263 as http://wesa.fmWed, 16 Oct 2013 23:12:27 +0000American Economic Growth and UnionsKatie MartinAmericas earliest unions of the 19th century were connected to craft and trade guilds. But with factory workers facing terrible working conditions such as 12+ hour work days, and 7 day work weeks in cramped, dangerous spaces, their only choice was to come together to collectively bargain for their safety. When Crystal Eastman, Co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union visited Pittsburgh in the 1920s, she reported 526 industrial related deaths in Allegheny County within one year. According to Dr. Charles McCollester, a former professor of Industrial and Labor Relations at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and author of The Point of Pittsburgh, about 3,000 mining industry workers died each year, between 1890 and 1920. Early Unions Collectively Bargained For Their Safetyhttp://wesa.fm/post/early-unions-collectively-bargained-their-safety
18256 as http://wesa.fmWed, 16 Oct 2013 21:15:40 +0000Early Unions Collectively Bargained For Their SafetyKatie MartinIn recent decades, America has seen a sharp decline in union membership. In the 1950s, 35 percent of American workers were members of a union, today that number is down to 11 percent. According to labor author, commentator and speaker Philip Dine, President Reagans crackdown on unions in the 1980s demonstrated that the old rules of collective bargaining no longer applied. The Future State of the Unionshttp://wesa.fm/post/future-state-unions
18255 as http://wesa.fmWed, 16 Oct 2013 20:56:33 +0000The Future State of the Unions